To Old Memories and New Beginnings
by AriAkane
Summary: Ok so this is my first story and i'm praying that its good. It's basically between a character of my own and Cloud Strife ( - ) and anyways...ya
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Walking down the cobblestone path, I made my way to the center of Midgar. Well the new Midgar at least. The old one had been basically destroyed by the meteor that fell nearly 5 years ago. I stopped as a few kids ran in front of me, nearly knocking me over. I was about to yell at them when I noticed that they stopped when they got to the alley. I looked at the thing that the children's focus was tuned on. A man stumbled down the alley, clutching the wall and groaning in pain. Some sort of viscous liquid poured from his mouth. I felt the bile rising in the back of my throat and I quickly darted from where I stood. As soon as I got a comfortable distance away from the horrific scene, I sighed and looked at the monument that stood in the middle of city square. It was a statue of an artist's recreation of the meteor that fell. I quickly walked forward as a group of people came up behind me and I darted into my usual alley. I was a tramp; a homeless girl who lived on the streets, working as prostitute. I looked up as the sky began to darken to a dull crimson. I sighed, my work shift had begun. I slowly stripped off my leather jacket to reveal a skin tight, sleeveless black tube top. I stepped out into the oncoming night as the normal people began to go to their houses and the other tramps appeared on the scene. A few men drove by in their cars as the dull thud of my black biker boots hit the pavement, the occasional car slowed down to look at me and I would give them a sensual sideways glanced before they sped back off again. I smiled grateful that I didn't have to have sex with them. I didn't want this lifestyle I just choose it because it was where I came from. I had always been from the slums, born and raised, and I guess that life just stuck with me, even when I was with SOLDIER.

There was a time when I was known as the only girl at the ShinRa Electrical Power Company, aside from the ones that were associated with the Turks. It had been a handful but somehow I made it, probably those mako shots. It was a better time back then. My family was fed and had a place to call home, I had a good job, and I had…friends. But then it all changed. One day, everything just went to shit. One of the First Class SOLDIERS went M.I.A, and then another one went with him. After that point, everyone started to die. We lost the life of a First then another went haywire and then one of my best friends died. Zack Fair. He was so happy and determined. He had the type of personality that made you believe like he could fix any problem, like he could save the world, like he could be a hero. Which, in my opinion, he had, he always had been a hero and, even though he was gone, he always will be a hero, well, to me at least.

Zack and I had been good friends since we grew up in the backwater desert town of Gongaga. Our favorite pastime was chasing tumbleweeds through the streets and adventuring into the badlands a little ways outside of the village. I was a few years older than him but we had known each other since he was old enough to talk and we spent every waking minute together until I had to move to Midgar. I remember crying my eyes out every day for the week before we left. Zack cried with me because we had thought that it would be the last time that we saw each other. Did we ever get that wrong? A few years later we met back up at SOLDIER and it was like I had never left. Aside from our missions and training, we never left each other's side. I had so much fun with him. He was constantly smiling and was always eager to be on his feet. He hated sitting in one place for too long. But that changed when he got that fated mission to Wutai. His mentor left, he was forced to kill him and in turn got killed; his dream shattering before he even got a chance to taste it.

"Excuse me" I heard a voice say and I turned around. A beefy girl with stringy, greasy black hair stood behind me with her arms crossed. Her face was plastered in hideous make-up that made me cringe with disgust.

"What?" I asked giving her that same tone she gave me.

"You're on my turf" she said and started walking towards me. My hands automatically clenched and my arms bent a little.

"I wouldn't come any closer if I were you" I warned her but she didn't listen. I crouched down a little as she approached, then her hand reached out for me and I stepped to the side, grabbing her wrist and elbow before bringing it down on my knee. There was a satisfying crack that informed me that her arm was broken, that plus her wails of pain. I let her drop as I walked back towards my alley. This is what the street life consisted of, fighting, selling your body and living in a box. Well that's what mine was like; others had a sugar daddy to go to. I huddled myself against the cold brick wall after I had wrapped my leather coat around my shoulders. A cool breeze had settled over the city and I shivered. The ground was damp from rain that had stopped yesterday and it soaked through the seat of my jeans as I sat; dreaming of a better life, dreaming of my old life. My eyes fluttered closed as the decrepit silhouette of the ShinRa Electrical Power Company towered over the buildings, reminding all of us of the dark secrets that lay within its walls.

 _Rain fell from the sky as a young blonde boy trudged along on the road, dragging what seemed to be a large sword behind him. I knew that sword anywhere. It was Angeal Hewley's Buster Sword. I started running towards the boy as he came closer. If he had that sword it meant that something happened, that something happened to Zack._

 _"Hey!" I shouted and the boy looked up, his cerulean eyes glazed over and swirling with mako energy. I could tell by the redness around the edges of his eyes that he had been crying. "Why, why do you have Zack's sword?" my words tumbled out of my lips as my body shook. The boy's eyes widened before getting even more blurry._

 _"He's gone" the boy said softly. My heart sank._

 _"What do you mean gone?" I asked and he shook his head while tears fell from his eyes._

 _"He's…dead. The ShinRa troops killed him" the boy said. My knees buckled and I fell to the ground. My body felt useless as his words sunk in. he was gone, Zack was dead. My best friend wasn't coming back. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I stared at the boy who fell with me and was crying as well. I looked down at my knees and sobbed uncontrollably. Nothing in this world or the next could bring him back. As I cried I felt two arms wrap themselves around me and I realized that the boy was hugging me. Seeking some sort of comfort I hugged him back, burrowing my face into his shoulder. As I took a deep breath I could smell Zack's scent on his clothes and saw that they were, in fact, Zack's. It was his First Class uniform. I cried harder. 'Why wasn't I there? Why couldn't I try to save him? Why did he have to take it all on himself?' Soon the tears died down but I still clung to this boy I didn't know for dear life. He provided the warmth and comfort that I usually found with Zack. I could feel as his shaky breaths settled down. I pulled away and stood up, looking out to the direction from where the boy came. I held my hand out to him and he took it, using it to stand up._

 _"Who are you anyways?" he asked and I looked at him._

 _"My name is Ari. Ari Akane." I said and he smiled a little._

 _"I'm Cloud Strife" he said and a gear clicked in my head._

 _"You're the Cloud that Zack talked about" I mumbled and it seemed to make him blush. I smiled a little though the pain in my heart was unbearable. I went to grab for the Buster Sword but Cloud jerked it back._

 _"Zack gave it to me" he said and I nodded, slightly hurt._

 _"Just make sure it doesn't kill you like it did to its last two wielders." I said and began to walk away. Cloud hurried to follow me. I turned slightly to see him struggling to lift the heavy piece of bulky metal so I stopped._

 _"At least let me carry it for a little bit" I said with a reassuring smile which he seemed to trust. He let me grab the hilt before I swung it over my shoulder, placing it securely on the magnetic holder on my uniform._

A cold wind woke me from my sleep and I slowly looked around. A hazy mist had settled over the streets, making them look bare and forgotten as dawn approached. A blue glow lit up the sky and ground as the sky above faded into the colors of the rainbow as the sun rose just under the horizon. I shrugged my arms through the sleeves of my jacket and walked out into the street. No one had woken up yet so everything remained silent; waiting for a new day. I breathed in and the air chilled my nose and caused me to sneeze, which was quiet loud considering I was one of the only ones awake. My stomach growled and I tried to think about anything but food but I guess that's what happens when you haven't eaten in a few days. I walked down a street and clutched my hand to my stomach, trying to find something that I could eat. None of the food vendors were out so any chance that I could steal from them flew out the window. When the pain grew, I let out a small yelp and doubled over to my knees. My face contorted with pain as the pain ate away at my midsection. I wanted to hurl but had nothing to throw up. The pain subsided and I got to my feet again. I walked down the street and stared at my feet, my dream of last night haunting me. I had always felt guilty for not being able to help Zack. I always felt like if I had gone with him to Nibelheim then I could have at least tried to help him.

I was so caught in my memories and shame that I didn't notice the person in front of me and; consequently, I ended up hitting them. I fell on to my ass and groaned in pain as my ass became sore and another wave of pain flared in my stomach.

"Watch it" said a male voice and I got mad.

"Why don't you?!" I snarled as my head shot up. I immediately bit on my tongue as I looked at the man I bumped into. His blonde hair was spiky and it reminded me of a chocobo's feathers. His blue eyes stared down at me with… well, nothing. It was like they were empty, void of all emotion but somehow I felt like I knew this guy. As his eyes looked me up and down, he offered out a hand which I took and he yanked me to my feet. When I finally got a good look at his eyes I could see the same swirling mako energy in the eyes of the boy I met ten years ago.

"Cloud?" I asked and he looked startled.

"How do you know my name?" he asked and I smiled a little.

"It's me, Ari Akane" I said and his eyes widened. A little smile came across his lips then disappeared.

"it's been so long" he said just as softly as the first time I spoke with him, though this time it was in better context. I shrugged.

"It has…how are you? You seem to-…" I never got to finish my sentence as a swelling pain shot from my stomach and outwards, into my chest and to my limbs. I ground my teeth together as I sent to my knees.

"Ari?" Cloud asked as he went down with me. I could barely hear him as I began to black out. The last thing I remembered was being swopped into Cloud's arms.


	2. Chapter 2

As I woke up I groaned. It felt like I had been brutally beaten, killed, and brought back to life so Death himself could give me a good one in the stomach. I cracked open my eyes and immediately shut them. The world outside my mind was swimmy and blurry. But the inside was calm, peaceful and serene; just the way I liked it. I laid there for a few minutes with my eyes closed before I heard the creaking of floorboards outside whatever room I was in. I waited silently as the door slowly opened.

"Oh, she's still asleep" said a soft female voice and I opened my eyes. All I could see was a black fuzzy person standing beside another black fuzzy person with a tuft of fuzzy blondness on its head. It was probably Cloud. My vision began to work itself back together as the people came closer and I could see that it was Cloud and some big – titted brunette. I could tell off the bat that I wouldn't like her. She smiled down at me and I looked around.

"Where am I?" I asked groggily, trying my best to sit up but failing miserably.

"You're at my bar, 7th Heaven" the girl said with a smile, "I'm Tifa Lockhart"

"Um…Ari Akane" I said as a bouncy Wutainese girl came in with a tray of food. She set it over my lap and perched on the side of the bed, waiting for me to eat. It smelt amazing but I didn't know if I could trust her, I had a bad history with the Wutai people after all. I glared at her, and then looked to Cloud who nodded. I pressed my lips together before taking a spoonful of what seemed to be porridge. I put the spoon in my mouth and instantly sighed. It was sweet but not too sweet. My stomach hungered for more and I shoveled the bowl down before sinking my teeth into the toast and digging another spoonful of the yogurt that was on the side of the tray. I switched between the yogurt and the toast until both were done then I grabbed the orange juice and downed it in one gulp. I looked up at the Wutainese girl who was grinning and she grabbed the tray off my lap and rushed out of the room. I wiped my mouth on the back of my arm and got questioning looks from Cloud and Tifa. I was about to question their looks but my stomach interrupted me which got a giggle from Tifa and a shake of the head from Cloud. I slowly moved back the covers on top of me and shuffled my feet to sit on the side of the bed. I shook my head a little as a dull throb started near the top of my spine. I sucked in air as the throbbing got worse but it soon faded, just in time as the Wutainese girl came back with another bowl of porridge. I smiled at her before shoveling back the contents of the bowl.

"Thank you" I said and handed the bowl to her. She smiled and nodded.

"I'm Yuffie Kisaragi, the beautiful and delicate flower of the Wutai nation." She said and punched the air. I laughed at her enthusiasm; it reminded me a bit of Zack.

"I'm Ari Akane." I said through my laughter and her eyes widened with shock.

"You mean… _the_ Ari Akane? The only girl at SOLDIER and the Last SOLDIER?" she asked and I nodded.

"In the flesh" I joked dryly and her eyes shimmered with…excitement…or admiration. I hadn't seen that look in years. But she was right; I still had ties to Rufus ShinRa and the SOLDIER Project. I was still a SOLDIER and I always will be until the day I die because that's the only way out. I shook a little at the thought of never dying; of always being a SOLDIER. Yuffie's eyes still glimmered as she hopped off the bed and darted down the stairs. I rubbed the back of my head and stood up clumsily. Cloud moved to catch me but I did it myself. I grabbed the back of the chair near the bed and leaned my weight on it. Cloud let out an agitated sigh as he watched me with worried eyes.

"I'm fine." I said but his eyes never changed. We had a stare off for a few seconds before Tifa grabbed my arm and began to lead me to the door.

"How about I show you around?" she asked and I nodded, following her out into the hall and down the small flight of stairs that led into the main part that was the bar. It was a little bare but still looked nice. A row of tables and seats were on the left side while the serving counters were on the right; in between was clear space. Tifa made me sit down as I began to wobble and she set a glass of water in front of me, demanding that I drink it slowly. I did drink it slowly, not because she told me to but because I was full after the hardy breakfast Yuffie gave me. Cloud followed us down and was sitting a few stools down from me, eating what looked like a plate of scrambled eggs. As I watched, Tifa leaned across the counter to my ear.

"He gets cranky when he doesn't have breakfast so watch out for that" she warned and I smiled.

"I will" I whispered back and she giggled. There was a clatter from Cloud as he put his fork and knife down, pushed his plate aside and got up.

"I'm going out" he said and left. I stared at the door then looked at Tifa.

"He does that a lot." She said before grabbing Cloud's plate from the counter and put it in the sink. I took another sip from my glass before leaving as well. As I got outside, I looked around to find Cloud but he was long gone. If he was on foot he was fast. The streets were practically empty as I walked around but at least that fog was gone. I hated fog, it was unnatural and creepy and, in my life, I had seen enough creepiness for my liking.

I had no idea what to do as I walked the streets of Midgar. I was so used to being on missions that I didn't even have time to walk around. Well, except for my days off but even then I was usually with other SOLDIER members and…Zack. I grimaced as I remembered him. Then an idea popped into my head. Since I was already walking I should visit a place that I had long forgotten. Sure it would bring back some memories but I hadn't been there in a long time.

The cold wind swept across the desert floor as I trotted up the cliffs outside of Midgar. As I climbed the cliffs, I shivered and waited for another strong gust to blow by before starting to climb again. The rocks bit into my flesh as I came closer to the top. Years ago, I could have just jumped rock to rock but the mako shots had long since worn off. Those mako shots were the only thing that defined a SOLDIER from the rest of the ShinRa grunts. It made us more powerful, undefeatable, and more…monstrous. Well, at least that's what SODLEIR First Class, Genesis Rhapsodos would have thought. He once told me that SOLDIERs were monsters and, to be honest, I believed him. Not back then but now I do. Now that I seen what ShinRa had done to us, now that I seen what insanity was brought by the people we…I…once worked for. I shook my head before grabbing onto the last jagged rock and hoisted myself up. The wind was harsher up here and my hair whipped around my head, clouding my vision but I could still make out the blonde boy standing beside the sword that was rammed into the ground. Apparently I had the same idea as Cloud. I slowly walked up to him, both our eyes trained on the sword. My heart sank as I watched it. I had so many memories of that sword. It belonged to Zack, my best friend and my previous lover, Angeal Hewley who was Zack's mentor. I finally stopped as I stood beside Cloud.

"So you come here too?" I asked and he nodded.

"Almost every day" he replied quietly and I was taken aback by his loyalty to Zack. I smiled a little. This guy hadn't changed a bit. I glared back at the sword, standing in all its cursed and rusted glory. That sword took the life of my lover and my best friend, and I'd be damned if I let it claim Cloud's life as well. I clenched my hands at the thought of Cloud wielding that sword again then I gasped as my nails dug into the cuts caused by the rocks. I looked down and noticed that there was a large gash in the palm of my left hand. Cloud noticed too and grabbed my wrist, leading me over to his motorcycle, plated in black and gold. I felt my heart skip a beat as I looked at the beautiful beast. If there was one thing that stuck with me throughout my time as a SOLDIER, it had to be my obsession with vehicles. And this one got my blood pumping. Cloud made me sit in the smooth leather seat as he rummaged through one of the side bags that were strapped to his bike. As he tried to find something, my eyes wandered over the clean metal of the bike.

"This yours?" I asked and he grunted in approval. I slid my good hand over the handle bars which were cool to the touch. "She got a name?" I questioned as Cloud looked at me with a roll of bandages in his hand.

"Fenrir" he said simply and I nodded approvingly.

"Good name" I said and my wounded hand was jerked by Cloud who poured some antiseptic liquid on it. I balked at the stinging needles that replaced the dull throb that was there before then Cloud proceeded to wrap the bandage around my palm. He surprised me by not touching the sensitive open flesh. Usually Zack or Angeal's hands would slip and they would end up grazing the wound. I guessed Cloud was more delicate and knew how it hurt when Zack accidently did that. I smiled down at him as he neatly tied the bandage together and tucked the loose ends under the edges of the wrapped part of the bandage. He gave a brief; very, very, brief smile before standing up.

"Could you move back on the seat" he said, it wasn't a question, it was a demand. I swung my leg over the seat so it was in between my legs and shuffled back a little bit. Cloud swung his leg over and sat in front of me. As he leaned down, the engine started and the bike shook underneath us, causing me to bit my lip. This baby was loud and I'm sure Cloud was proud of it. We were about to drive off when Cloud turned his head back to me.

"You better hold on tight" he said and I leaned forward, wrapping my hands around his waist. I guessed I wasn't holding on tight enough when Cloud grabbed my wrists and pulled my arms tighter around him. I blushed a little at the action before I rested my head on his back. It was all too familiar; the way we were sitting, the feeling of my arms around a man's waist, the dull beat of a heart in my ears. I bit back the sadness and the memories that flooded over me. The memories of me holding Zack's waist as we raced through Junon on a dirt bike with Wutai troops on our tail, of me hugging my mentor Sephiroth as he told me that Angeal was dead, but most of all the memory of Angeal's heart beating as he slept beside me. I burrowed my cheek further against the black, rough fabric of Cloud's shirt as the wind whipped past my head. someone had once told me that I had to let go of my memories and I tried but…it was too hard and I soon realized that I didn't want to get rid of my memories, they meant too much too me. They were the only things I had left.

I felt Fenrir slow and I raised my head from Cloud's back. The buildings along the street slowly rolled by as we neared Tifa's bar; then we jerked to a stop outside of the small shop and I slowly slid from Fenrir's seat. I thanked Cloud for the ride before bouncing up to the room I had woke in. I slowly closed the door before pressing my back against it and letting the tears I had been holding back roll down my face. I let my head fall back against the door as I closed my eyes. Visions of Zack's smiling face revolved behind my eyelids followed by Angeal, Genesis and Sephiroth. I recalled the look on Zack's face when he saw me walk through the doors of the ShinRa Electrical Power Company for the first time, the warm and powerful hugs that comforted me to no end, the affectionate and loving smiles than never left his face, and those eyes; those precious mako infused eyes that shimmered with so much strength and determination. My mind switched to Angeal next as I thought about how Zack had introduced us. I couldn't contain the small sobs that raked my body as my head filled with how kind and caring Angeal had been, how that kindness soon progressed to passion as we made love for the first time, how…happy…I felt as I woke up in his strong arms. Next was Genesis, with his endless quotes of LOVELESS and fiery attitude. The look in his eyes as he learned about his best friend having a girlfriend passed in my mind, after that, the light sound of his laugh filled my ears. Sure Genesis had been a dick at first but him and we soon became close friends as Angeal was the one thing we had in common. Sephiroth soon replaced Genesis as I continued to cry about my lost friends. I remembered the first time I saw him in all his righteous and cruel glory. He had scared the living crap out of me but as we bonded, I soon learned that he was a very lonely man. He had no family and Angeal and Genesis were his only friends, and when he had mentioned me as I friend, I was actually honored. I felt kind of relived that he didn't consider me a pest after the numerous and quiet pitiless and brutal late night hours of training. I remembered how he came walking slowly into the training room as I pulled an all nighter trying to brush up on the techniques he had taught me the day before. The look on his usually passive face gave it away; I knew that something had happened. As the words passed over his lips and floated to my ears, I let my sword fall out of my hands and I dropped to my knees. Inside my heart broke, shattering into tiny pieces. Everything passed by in slow motion as it finally sunk in that Angeal was dead. Even though I felt Sephiroth kneel down I did nothing about it; I just stared at where Sephiroth once stood and shook while tears poured from my eyes. Just like now as I sat huddled into the tiniest form I could manage. The tears soaked their way through my pants as I pressed my forehead against my knees and wrapped my arms together around my calves. My body shook violently as I tried to keep the shuddering sobs from escaping me.

"Ari? You ok?" I heard a voice ask, it was Cloud. I took a deep breath before speaking.

"Yeah, I'm fine" I said but couldn't stop the shudder in my voice.

"Ari, please let me in" I heard him say and I slowly scooted to the side and the door opened ever so slowly. I kept my head buried in my arms as Cloud closed the door and kneeled beside me.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly but I kept crying, not even wanting to bring up the things I was thinking about. Soon I felt his hand slowly and softly run up and down my back, which comforted me a little but it didn't really help. I slowly lifted my head up and rubbed the edge of my sleeves under my eyes, wiping away my tears. Cloud looked at me with worried blue eyes that reminded me of Zack.

"I'm sorry," I whispered softly, "it's just that…thinking of …" I couldn't bring myself to say Zack's name, fearing that the tears might fall again.

"Zack?" I heard Cloud question softly and I nodded slightly. He looked down at the floor as he thought of our best friend.

"I still can't believe that he's…that they're all…" I didn't want to say the word, my mind refused to comprehend it still after all these years.

"I know it's hard for me too" Cloud said sympathizing with me. It would be hard for him, he was close to Zack too, "it must be harder for you though, no offense…" he said and I nodded, trying to lose myself in the continuous rubbing on my back. We sat there, the two of us broken and hurting, for a few minutes before I felt Cloud move and then there was a small pressure on my cheek. It took me a few seconds to realize that the pressure was Cloud's lips. When he pulled back, I looked at him with wide eyes. The younger boy blushed then got up and left the room. I stared at the spot where Cloud once sat and my hand brushed over the spot where he kissed me. I blushed violently as I crawled forward to the bed, got on top of it and huddled myself under the covers. There was too much floating around in my head right now; the memories of my friends, Cloud kissing me and the fact that I was still in love with Angeal even though he was dead. I huddled into a tight ball, pulling the covers around me more as I stared out the window that was across from me. It was all too much. Why was this happening to me? Why was I the one in the middle of this? There's nothing special about me, right? So why me? My head throbbed with questions as I rolled back and forth trying to forget about everything. As I rolled around, the door opened very quietly and Cloud came into the room again. I peeked up from under the covers as he walked closer to the bed. Feeling my face heat up, I turned away. The weight of Cloud's lithe body on the bed caused it to tilt a little and I was forced into slightly rolling towards him, a move that I didn't really think was appropriate given what he did.

"Ari" I heard Cloud say softly and I turned my head slightly towards him but not so far that I could see him, "I'm sorry if what I did upset you. I…I just…really…" Cloud stopped mid sentence and my curiosity caused me to look at him slightly. I could see that his face was beat red and he averted eye contact with any part of me. I smiled a little as I remembered how shy this boy actually was. It had been a long time since I had seen this part of him that I found myself nostalgic at his involuntary actions. I had to admit though, I did have feelings for Cloud, he was actually quiet cute and he was my type. Every since I was little, my past boyfriends and crushes were all lanky, skinny, blonde and blue eyed, Angeal had been the only exception with his dark features and rugged, farm boy build.

"It's ok Cloud" I said hoarsely and Cloud looked at me with somber eyes. Those baby blue eyes held so much pain and suffering that when I looked in them, I felt like I was looking in the mirror. Cloud and I had almost the same past. Our families and hometowns were destroyed, our best friend was killed, and we had taken his death to fault, though for completely different reasons. I felt I was to blame because I could have saved Zack if I was there but Cloud's reason was because he had shouldered the burden of consenting to be Zack's living legacy. Zack's honor and dreams were Cloud's now. I felt bad for the kid; he was too young and inexperienced to shoulder something like that. It had caused him to mature long past his years. I smiled sadly as I reached up and ran my hand over his cheek. Cloud's eyes slowly closed as he leaned into my palm, rubbing his cheek lightly against it. Slowly, Cloud lifted his hand up and cupped it around mine. After a few seconds, Cloud twirled my hand around so that our palms were flush against each other, then he laced his fingers with mine. He looked down at me as kissed my fingers individually before releasing my hand, which flopped on to my side uselessly. My face felt hot and I realized that I was blushing terribly throughout this whole thing. I sat up abruptly as wrapped my arms around Cloud, who was momentarily stunned. Soon I felt his arms wrap themselves around my waist and I nuzzled my face into his shoulder. I prayed that I could find some sort of comfort in Cloud's hug but, not to my surprise, it remained emotionless. I knew that Cloud could never replace Zack but still I hoped, hoped that this young blonde boy could at least indulge me with a reminiscent memory.


End file.
